This study presents the perspectives of a group of pre-service teacher candidates with a commitment to teach in urban public schools. Nineteen new teachers participated in this study and 14 of them identified as new teachers of Color. Their reflections on entering the teaching profession, teaching in urban schools, and qualities of good teaching are presented to showcase their power, creativity, and focus to bring about change in public education through effective teaching and attention to community organizing. Results are presented to show the importance of listening to teachers' voices in the scholarly pursuit of social justice education and the critique of proposed federal regulations that attempt to standardize the evaluation of teacher preparation programs.